Can-cap dropper.



EX. M. COBB.

GAN GAP DROPPBR. a'PPLIoAfIoN FILED 1113.23, 1907.

'Patenteayom-SO, 1909..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IlllflH m5265566; lo.

E. M. 003B. `CAN GAP DROPPEB.. APPLICATION FILD AFE B.23, 1907.

941,357.' PatenteaNov. 3o, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. M. COBB.

. GAN GAP DROPPBB.

v APPLIQATION FILED FEB. 23, 1907. Y l '9 |:11P5'}',` j Patented Nov. 30,1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

UNITED ,sTATEs PATENT onnicn.

ELMER M. COBB, OF SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD M. 'I4-ANG, JR.,

' OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

CAN-CAP DROPPER.

Specication of Letters *Patent Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Application filed February 23, 1907. Serial No. 358,844.-

To all whom 'it may concern:

lie it. knownthat I, ELMER M. COBB, a citizen, of the United States, residing 'at h'ou'th lortlnnd, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented an improved Cnn-Cap Dropper; and I hereby declare that thc following is a full, clear,

.means whereby the can may be held auto` inatically beneath said column, the center of the can being below the center of the vcap and means whereby the cap may be dropped into the groove.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a front`view of my machine, the tube or cap holder being removed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the-` same; Fig. 3 is a detail showing, a top plan of the feed; Fig. 4 is a view of the under side of the mechanism for dropping the cap upon the can; Fig. '5 is a top plan of the cup dropper (the upper section of the casting l being removed) showing the mechanism used for su porting and separating the lowermost cap fiom the column; and Big. 6

is a. detail showing the tube or capliolder` with the adjacent parts in vertical transverse section.

T he device shown in the drawing and hereinafter described is intended to be used in connection with theI carrier or endless belt used in canneries for'. the transmission of the cans from one point to anotherin the process of the work and the whole of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 is supported upon a bracket a whichis provided with the bolt b fixed to the plate c which by means of the nut d may be securely elamped'to the lower rail or support of such carrier, see Figs. 1 and 2. This carrier is indicated by the letter e in Fig. 2 and is provided at uniform intervals with dogsv or projections f f, see Fig. 2, which are disposed at convenient intervals upon the carrier. At the rear of the bracket a is fixed in suitable bearings the rod g which carries the operative mechanism of the cap dropper. Somewhat above the bracket upon the rod g is a sleeve lz. which` is fixed to the Lrod by the set screw z', the upper surface of this sleeve is somewhat above rthe plane o f the upper surface of the carrier.v Upon this ysleev-e rests the six fingered feed lc' arranged to revolve freely upon the rod g. Fixed to the upper surface of the feed le is the sleeve m which carries the gear n which interniatches with the geared.

tions w 'w )rovided with swinoin bolts and l es nuts a .n whereby they may be secured to,- gether.

The band or collar u u is made of 'suoli shape within as to receive and support the upper part of the casting 1 1, see Fig. G. The casting 1 1 lmay for convenience be made in two parts, the upper and lower, as shown in Fig. 6. Centrally located wit-hin it is the cap holder or tube 2, the interior diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the cap to be operated on. It should be so located that its center will be directly over the centrer of a can placed in front of the dog fupon the carrier e as the can passes beneath the mechanism under description. Three similar horizontal slots 3 3 are provided near the bottom of the tube for the reception of the pathway cams 4 4. These pathway cams, see Fig. 6, are carried by a circular body provided with intles at the topf and bottom and beneath t e upper pintle with the gear 5 somewhat beneath which is located the pathway cam 4 above referred to. This .pathway cam consists of a ledge nearly contmuous. The upper sur# face of this'ledge at one end is removed for a considerable portion of a circle formi-ng a gradually descending path, while fromthe other end the under surface of the ledge is removed so that at the end it presents practically a sharp edge which gradually increases to the normal depth of the ledge. Inserted 'beneath the upper and lower ortions of the frame a surrounding the tu e 2 is the annular plate 6 which is rovided on one side with the arm 7. T is annular plate 6 has a sufficient opening to permit the the lower pintle being sufficiently largeto` allow adjustment 'by means of the rodz.9 which is controlled by the' spring' 10 against the screw 11. The arm 7, see Flg. 1,.is pivoted to the bent arm 12, the vother end of which is pivoted to thearm. 13, theV otherl end of which arm (13) is ixed to the shaft '11. Located beneath the casting 1 are three valves or wings 14 14, see Fig. 4, which are of like size and construction and are pivoted to the frame 1 by the pivots 15, 15 which are located at'points equidistant from the center of the pathway .cams on either side. Each of these valves or wings are provided with earswhich extend outside the circumference of the casting 1 and each is provided with a cam pathway 17,17, see Fig. 4, into which project downward from the annular plate 6 pins or rods 16, 16, the lower end being adapted to play in the cam-shaped pathway 17.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that the carrier or endless belt is removing the cans from the filler to the capping machine, the device shownin Fig'. 1 is connected by means of the bolt b and d with the under portion .of the support of the carrier at a convenient point beneath' the filler and the capping machine. The tube or holder 2 is filled with caps, the lowest cap resting upon the ledgesl 4, 4. As the can is carried forward by the dog f, it comes in contact with one o f the lingers of the feed 1 which causes rotation ofthe gear a and the pint-le o which through the arms 13 and 12 causes the annular plate 6 to rotate which in turn, by -means of its internal gear 8, ro-

tates the pathway cams 4,'4A simultaneously permitting vthe lowest cap of the column-in the holder 2 to pass through the pathway in the cam and rest upon the wings 14, 14, as the center of the can approachesy its central position beneath the center of the tube 2,'the pins 16, 16 moving in the cam pathways 17 cause the wings or valves 14, 14 to open and assume the position shown in dotted j lines in Fig. 4, when the cap is dropped yupon the groove around the stud of the can. As the can passes onward, the fingers of the feed lo, continuing to revolve, returns the annular plate 6 to the position which it occupied before the can came in lcontact with the lingersl of the feed Je. The

next can comes in contact with the next finger, when the operation is repeated and so onindefinitely. As the dropper is operated by the can, if by any mistake or omission one of the spaces upon the carrier nut f f i `f 1. The combination of means for supporting a columnof objects'to b'e fed one 'at1 a time, devices for separatinglthe lowest robn ing means for separating t should not be occupiedby 'a can, no cap will be dropped. f

- The intervalsA between the cans upon the carrier needl not be regarded except that the cans must not be placed so near as to re- -vent the full operation of the linger 7c be ore another can contacts with the next linger. It

.shouldbe noted that the wall of the casting 1y containing the holder or tube 2 constitutes va continuation of the holder from its lower end almost tothe level of the valves so that l.

the position of the cap within cannot be disturbed by the action of the valves until they are fully opened, nor can the ca be turned Y in dropping the slight distance etween the top of the valve and the stud of the can.

In the foregoing description of my device and in its operation it has been considered and described with reference to its function as a ca dropping machine. It .will be apparent, owever, thatthe device may be used for a great variety of .otherl` purposes, such as therdroppi'ng of disks of metal, pasteboard, cork and other substances, nor 1s the operation of the machine restricted to disks or other object-s of circular outline as it may also be adapted and used for the separation and dropping of objects square, oval and hexagonal or of other shapes and may,

therefore, be of use in other processes or arts than that of packinggoods or providing material therefor. v

'What I lclaim is:

ject in said column from the rest, means .formovably ksupporting -`said separated object,v

mechanism for movmg the parts of said-"' supporting means away -fronr each other, and thereby allowing said separated object to drop through said means at a predetermined time and traveling means for operating said mechanism, substantially as described.

2. The combination of means for supporting a column of objects and feeding them I one at a time, and means for carrying articles which set in mot-ion the said feeding mechanism, said supporting and feeding mechanisln including means for supporting a column of objects to be fed one at a time, means for separating the lowest object in. said column'- fromthe rest ofthe column, movable devices for supporting said sepaing the separated object to fall, substantially as described.

3. The combination of means for supporting a column -of objects and feeding them one at a time, and a movable carrier adapted to carry articles which set in motion the feeding devices, said feedin devices include lowest one of -rated object, and means for operating said movable devices at the proper time, allowl separated object, and means for separating said movable supportsor wings, thereby fallowing the separated object to drop at the proper time, substantially .as described.

Y 4. vThe combination of means for supporting a column of caps and for feeding them one at a time, and an endless carrier for carrying cans which'set in motion said feeding devices, said feeding devices including means for separating the lowest cap from the column, a plurality of movable valves or'wings for supporting the separated cap, and means for moving said valves-at the proper time allowing the separated cap to 'd1-op, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a carrier whereby cans or other objects may be advanced at intervals, two or more valves located above said carrier, means whereby a cap or other 1 object may be held until over the desired portion of said can or othe'r object and means operated by the advance of a can whereby said valves may be opened automatically to permit said cap or other object. to drop upon the desired portion of said can or other object and then closed, substantially as described.

6. In a mechanism having means for advancing a series of cans, the combination of t-wo or more valveslocated abovesaid means, means whereby al single 'cap or other object may be fed from asupply thereof upon the upper surface of said valves and means whereby said valves may be opened in order' to permit said object to drop into position upon the stud of the can, said means for feeding said cap or other objectand for opening'and closing said valves being operated automatically by the advances of said can, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a holder provided with openings in its wall adapted to receive similar objects, ledges provided with simi' larly inclined openings and projecting through said openings, means whereby said ledges may be operated in such manner as to allow the lowermost object resting thereon to be carried through said inclined openings simultaneously and discharged from,

said tube, siibstantially as described.

8. The combination'j of a holder provided withy openings in its wall and adapted to receive' similar objects, ledges projecting through said openin s and adapted to sustain the column o said objects in said holder, said. ledges being provided with similarly inclined openings through the same and means whereby said ledges may revolve in such manner that the lowermost of' said objects with each revolution will pass simultaneously through said inclined openings or paths and from said holder, substantially as described.

9. The combination of means adapted to support a column of caps and feed them one at a time, and a carrier adapted to be moved in proximity to 'said means vand to carry cans which set in mot-ion the operating parts of said feeding mechanism, said feeding mechanism including devices for separating the lowest cap from said column, a plurality of movable supports or wings located beneath the cap, supporting means, and means for moving said supports away from each other, thereby allowing the separated .cap which rests vthereon to fall at the proper*v time upon the can on the carrier beneath, substantially as described.

10. The combination of an endless carrier adapted to carry cans, means for supporting a column of .caps above said carrier, an means set in motion by the cans carried by said carrier for feeding said caps, one at a time, 'upon the cans on said carrier, said means including devices lowest cap in said column from the other caps, a plurality of movable supports or wings for Asu porting the said separated cap, and devices for moving the'said wings away from each other, allowing'the cap to fall between them upon including `a star wheel adapted to be struck by the cans upon the carrler, substantially as described.

11. The combination of. means for porting a column of caps, passing beneath said means and adapted to carry cans, and'means set in operation by the cans carried along .by said carrier for feedin said caps one at a time, said means including devices for separating the lowest cap in said column from the remainder, movable wings or supports for temporarily supporting the separated cap, and means for operating said movable wings or supports at the proper time to allow the separated cap to drop on the can beneath, includingv a star wheel, gearing operated thereby for successivel operiitmg the means for separating the cwest cap in the column from the others, and for opening saidl supports orl wings, allowing the separated ca. at the 'proper time,l substantia scribed.

12. Ina cap dro ping machine, the com binat'ion of meansgor` supporting a column of caps, means for feeding said caps from said column one at time, an endless carrier adapted` to travel in proximity Ito said cap supporting means and to carry cans which operate Said feeding means, said feeding 'means including a plurality ofjwheelsv for separating .thelowest cap in said colmnn from the remainder, a plurality of movable supportsor wings for temporarily holding said separated cap, and devices for succes. slvely operating said separating means, and said' supports or wings cnsistlng of a star to dr'op y as defor separating the the can below, said devices an endless carrier VWheelygearng operated thereby for operatl hand this .twenty-first day of February,

ing said separatmg' Ineens, and devices op- A. I). 1907.

',erated by said gearing for opening said valves or Wings at the proper time, substany ELMERM' COBB' `A tinlly asdescribed. Signed in presence of-n In testimony, that I claim the foregoing GEO. E. BIRD, as my lnventlon I have hereunto set my EDWARD M. LANG, J1'. 

